Friday, February 9, 2007
Western media war on Africa
Western media war on Africa
February 08, 2007 04:27 AM
http://www.africanpath.com
by Dro Ameh
Our world today is bedeviled with may wars and rumours of war. There is war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel and Lebanon, North Korea in their intransigence in building a nuclear weapon, Iran is at the verge of completing its nuclear ambition, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has taken to a verbal war with American President George W. Bush.
These are all wars with causes and the people propagating these wars are looking forward to achieving one form of physical benefit or the other which can be deducible from each country’s foreign
policy objectives.
But as an African of Nigerian descent living in the United States of America, I have come to understand that the western media have dragged themselves into a war with Africa. This war is not like any other explicated above. It is a new frontier in perpetually keeping the psyche of an average African person low in the eyes of the world. The media’s poor sense or lack of it on how Africans live is posing a lot of problems with the way we are perceived by even our own children.
If you have ever seen the portrayal of Africa in the media; CNN, FOX, ABC, etc, it is always when there is war or starvation. I’m not saying it’s wrong to bring to the world’s attention a certain patricidal war that has refused to go away that oftentimes some countries of Africa bring to bear on themselves. Africa is a continent made up of 53 countries. There is nothing wrong in being specific about which country has a certain event going on.
This lack of awareness on the part of the media is largely responsible for the seeming ignominious behavior of an average American towards events outside the United States. In all of these, I’m really compelled to ask; is there any particular crime committed by Africans to deserve this level of disrespect by the western media? Or is it a question about race superiority?
On the contrary, if you live in Nigeria, for instance and have the opportunity of watching most western media channel, you will begin to have the erroneous and misleading thinking that all Americans are well to do. This reasoning has, however, proved to be inductive and untrue.
In spite of what they try to portray, we now know the difference. It is not possible for instance to show any part of Newark, Camden or Detroit that is not only drug infested, but are also ghettoized in African edition of CNN or FOX. It’s my conviction therefore to conclude that the media are engaged in a war where they are not only the initiators of the case, but are also the judge of their own cause.
The last of this one-sided war on Africa reached its peak when ABC network, the self-proclaimed second largest network in America, showed a documentary on the activities of fraudsters in Nigeria preying on what the presenter, Mr. Brian Ross, described as the gullibility of American citizens. In the series of events that led to this conclusion, I’m convinced that it must have been difficult for the ABC anchorman to accept the fact that other groups of people could outsmart his American wise men and women.
The truth of the matter is that any American citizen who is so obliged to make such easy money, which he did not clock the time for, tax free, away from the prying eyes of the IRS, is a thief. Maybe, I would have been so assuaged if the ABC anchorman had put it bluntly rather than euphemized the criminal intention of his country men.
In a swift reaction to the supposed documentary, the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Frank Nweke indeed added what I consider a very brave and incontrovertible insight into the American corporate scandals which led to the liquidation of Enron and World. Com, and advised Mr. Ross to concentrate on those as they are much more than a handful and presents a more threatening and worrisome implication in the world today than what is going on in Nigeria. To this end, I will relish the confidence exhibited by the minister knowing full well that if a verbal war was to ensue, Nigeria will hold its own end of the propaganda. But come to think of it, the WorldCom and the Enron corporate scandals were real and real people were disproportionally denied their life savings known as 401k using the popular parlance.
The part of the show that really made me sick in the stomach was the fact that the only place Mr. Ross took his cameramen to showcase as the economic hub of Lagos state was the daily market [Oshodi market] which in the American representation is a flea market. And he had the effrontery to describe Lagos as a “poor and crime ridden shame of a city.”
But in all these conclusion of the ABC anchorman I’m compelled to ask if he was also lodged in ‘Oshodi market Hotel too’? I would not be surprised to know that he and his crew members were lodged at the Los Angeles part of Lagos that has all the world class amenities and hotels and even more expensive buildings than those inhabited by the presenter. What about the Lagos Island with all the high rises and skyscrapers buildings? The beautiful natural land of Victoria Island that harbours about six beaches where people go and unwind. I suppose the camera could not work for those magnificent and well construed nature land which intentionally were subdued but could not be denied in his subconscious
It must, however, be understood here that I’m not trying to make any briefs for any attempt by some disgruntled and eccentric individuals in Nigerian society to engage in activities that will undermine the character of hard working Nigerians in the US or any other part of the world. I personally feel so sad that the activities of a few idiots has become the definition of the strength of character of the Nigerian who work so hard to put food on the table, provide for their family abroad and help solve real existential problems.
Corollarily, it must be noted that such criminal activities are also common in America with American citizens as the architect of such craft of obtaining from unsuspecting victims. Just a cursory look at the six o’clock news in the local stations will readily prove that in such states as New York, it is easy to pull out a deed in the internet and sell someone’s else house while they went out shopping for grocery.
The real issue here is to accept the juxtaposition of industrialization with all kinds of fraud since extreme capitalism will naturally lead to expropriation and exploitation of the underprivileged in the society The people so disenfranchised will naturally find a way to redress the injustice done to them by people who have so much and don’t know what to do with the surplus.
African societies are going through what is termed in the political literature as legitimization crises. The countries of Europe and Americas went through such experiences and even worse as the lot of most African countries today. But the mere fact that we all have to accept the concept of 21st century on the terms and definitions of the western countries cannot eliminate the natural process of political democratization which its end thereof is political stability and highly developed political culture.
Therefore to avoid any form of political fixation, the African societies should be helped to and encouraged to exorcise any shred of characterization emanating from the philosophical hobbesian state of nature.
It’s about time the other races of the world begin to acknowledge the uniqueness and the exclusivity of other races. Nobody is superior to nobody in any kind of way, and experience over the century has proved that beyond any reasonable doubt.
There are avaricious black people, so also are there avaricious white people or Asian people. There are stupid people from all races so also are there intelligent and very rational set of people from all races. Race superiority or inferiority is nothing but a myth and should be dismissed without any scientific and rational basis.
I’m from Nigeria and I’m very proud of it. In our organic style of living, especially in the small villages, nobody goes to sleep hungry because everybody can produce just enough for himself and his family. And a lot of extended family members add enchantment to the already colorful style of living.
The so-called western civilization is the reason for all these societal maladies. As it was aptly described in the American movie, I Robot, the police chief told Will Smith that ‘Guy creates monster, monster kills guy,’ so why bother about it? The kind of social issues we face today is a result of the supposed western civilization which encourages an unprecedented level of disparity between the rich and the poor. Put differently, interactive social forces created miscreants and cheats and which turn around to haunt their creators.
It’s so embarrassing that the ABC anchorman was aided by an EFCC agent or whoever it was that was awash with some stupefied presence on TV possibly savouring his newfound friendship with guys who only meant to undermine the country with his most biased and perverse portrayal of whatever issues that was being investigated. It’s my view that the guy, whoever he is in the rank and file of the EFCC, be reprimanded for feathering his nest against the image of our country.
I’m a member of the Junior Chambers International and I have taken an extensive and comprehensive look at the creed and had wished for a day when “the brotherhood of all men will transcend the sovereignty of all nations.” It looks to me like this may be a mere travesty of good intentions but the media war on Africa will be a good place to start from
February 08, 2007 04:27 AM
http://www.africanpath.com
by Dro Ameh
Our world today is bedeviled with may wars and rumours of war. There is war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel and Lebanon, North Korea in their intransigence in building a nuclear weapon, Iran is at the verge of completing its nuclear ambition, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has taken to a verbal war with American President George W. Bush.
These are all wars with causes and the people propagating these wars are looking forward to achieving one form of physical benefit or the other which can be deducible from each country’s foreign
policy objectives.
But as an African of Nigerian descent living in the United States of America, I have come to understand that the western media have dragged themselves into a war with Africa. This war is not like any other explicated above. It is a new frontier in perpetually keeping the psyche of an average African person low in the eyes of the world. The media’s poor sense or lack of it on how Africans live is posing a lot of problems with the way we are perceived by even our own children.
If you have ever seen the portrayal of Africa in the media; CNN, FOX, ABC, etc, it is always when there is war or starvation. I’m not saying it’s wrong to bring to the world’s attention a certain patricidal war that has refused to go away that oftentimes some countries of Africa bring to bear on themselves. Africa is a continent made up of 53 countries. There is nothing wrong in being specific about which country has a certain event going on.
This lack of awareness on the part of the media is largely responsible for the seeming ignominious behavior of an average American towards events outside the United States. In all of these, I’m really compelled to ask; is there any particular crime committed by Africans to deserve this level of disrespect by the western media? Or is it a question about race superiority?
On the contrary, if you live in Nigeria, for instance and have the opportunity of watching most western media channel, you will begin to have the erroneous and misleading thinking that all Americans are well to do. This reasoning has, however, proved to be inductive and untrue.
In spite of what they try to portray, we now know the difference. It is not possible for instance to show any part of Newark, Camden or Detroit that is not only drug infested, but are also ghettoized in African edition of CNN or FOX. It’s my conviction therefore to conclude that the media are engaged in a war where they are not only the initiators of the case, but are also the judge of their own cause.
The last of this one-sided war on Africa reached its peak when ABC network, the self-proclaimed second largest network in America, showed a documentary on the activities of fraudsters in Nigeria preying on what the presenter, Mr. Brian Ross, described as the gullibility of American citizens. In the series of events that led to this conclusion, I’m convinced that it must have been difficult for the ABC anchorman to accept the fact that other groups of people could outsmart his American wise men and women.
The truth of the matter is that any American citizen who is so obliged to make such easy money, which he did not clock the time for, tax free, away from the prying eyes of the IRS, is a thief. Maybe, I would have been so assuaged if the ABC anchorman had put it bluntly rather than euphemized the criminal intention of his country men.
In a swift reaction to the supposed documentary, the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Frank Nweke indeed added what I consider a very brave and incontrovertible insight into the American corporate scandals which led to the liquidation of Enron and World. Com, and advised Mr. Ross to concentrate on those as they are much more than a handful and presents a more threatening and worrisome implication in the world today than what is going on in Nigeria. To this end, I will relish the confidence exhibited by the minister knowing full well that if a verbal war was to ensue, Nigeria will hold its own end of the propaganda. But come to think of it, the WorldCom and the Enron corporate scandals were real and real people were disproportionally denied their life savings known as 401k using the popular parlance.
The part of the show that really made me sick in the stomach was the fact that the only place Mr. Ross took his cameramen to showcase as the economic hub of Lagos state was the daily market [Oshodi market] which in the American representation is a flea market. And he had the effrontery to describe Lagos as a “poor and crime ridden shame of a city.”
But in all these conclusion of the ABC anchorman I’m compelled to ask if he was also lodged in ‘Oshodi market Hotel too’? I would not be surprised to know that he and his crew members were lodged at the Los Angeles part of Lagos that has all the world class amenities and hotels and even more expensive buildings than those inhabited by the presenter. What about the Lagos Island with all the high rises and skyscrapers buildings? The beautiful natural land of Victoria Island that harbours about six beaches where people go and unwind. I suppose the camera could not work for those magnificent and well construed nature land which intentionally were subdued but could not be denied in his subconscious
It must, however, be understood here that I’m not trying to make any briefs for any attempt by some disgruntled and eccentric individuals in Nigerian society to engage in activities that will undermine the character of hard working Nigerians in the US or any other part of the world. I personally feel so sad that the activities of a few idiots has become the definition of the strength of character of the Nigerian who work so hard to put food on the table, provide for their family abroad and help solve real existential problems.
Corollarily, it must be noted that such criminal activities are also common in America with American citizens as the architect of such craft of obtaining from unsuspecting victims. Just a cursory look at the six o’clock news in the local stations will readily prove that in such states as New York, it is easy to pull out a deed in the internet and sell someone’s else house while they went out shopping for grocery.
The real issue here is to accept the juxtaposition of industrialization with all kinds of fraud since extreme capitalism will naturally lead to expropriation and exploitation of the underprivileged in the society The people so disenfranchised will naturally find a way to redress the injustice done to them by people who have so much and don’t know what to do with the surplus.
African societies are going through what is termed in the political literature as legitimization crises. The countries of Europe and Americas went through such experiences and even worse as the lot of most African countries today. But the mere fact that we all have to accept the concept of 21st century on the terms and definitions of the western countries cannot eliminate the natural process of political democratization which its end thereof is political stability and highly developed political culture.
Therefore to avoid any form of political fixation, the African societies should be helped to and encouraged to exorcise any shred of characterization emanating from the philosophical hobbesian state of nature.
It’s about time the other races of the world begin to acknowledge the uniqueness and the exclusivity of other races. Nobody is superior to nobody in any kind of way, and experience over the century has proved that beyond any reasonable doubt.
There are avaricious black people, so also are there avaricious white people or Asian people. There are stupid people from all races so also are there intelligent and very rational set of people from all races. Race superiority or inferiority is nothing but a myth and should be dismissed without any scientific and rational basis.
I’m from Nigeria and I’m very proud of it. In our organic style of living, especially in the small villages, nobody goes to sleep hungry because everybody can produce just enough for himself and his family. And a lot of extended family members add enchantment to the already colorful style of living.
The so-called western civilization is the reason for all these societal maladies. As it was aptly described in the American movie, I Robot, the police chief told Will Smith that ‘Guy creates monster, monster kills guy,’ so why bother about it? The kind of social issues we face today is a result of the supposed western civilization which encourages an unprecedented level of disparity between the rich and the poor. Put differently, interactive social forces created miscreants and cheats and which turn around to haunt their creators.
It’s so embarrassing that the ABC anchorman was aided by an EFCC agent or whoever it was that was awash with some stupefied presence on TV possibly savouring his newfound friendship with guys who only meant to undermine the country with his most biased and perverse portrayal of whatever issues that was being investigated. It’s my view that the guy, whoever he is in the rank and file of the EFCC, be reprimanded for feathering his nest against the image of our country.
I’m a member of the Junior Chambers International and I have taken an extensive and comprehensive look at the creed and had wished for a day when “the brotherhood of all men will transcend the sovereignty of all nations.” It looks to me like this may be a mere travesty of good intentions but the media war on Africa will be a good place to start from
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West
Just a short trailer for the feaeture documentary.
This film may be bias.
This film may be bias.
Quotation of the day
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Nigeria Violence
Since military rule ended in Nigeria in 1999, at least 14,000 people have been killed in sporadic outbursts of violence across the country and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
Population 134.4 million
70 percent of population live on less than $1 a day
World's eighth-largest oil exporter
High risk of unrest ahead of 2007 elections
For more information please visit this link:
http://www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/NG_VIO.htm?v=at_a_glance
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR440222005
http://www.nigeriabusinessinfo.com/nigerian-oil.htm
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=70126
Triangulating Global Warming
Stemming from the global warming issue I see three primary topics at hand.
At this point in time its not such a cut and dry issue. It was easy back in the day to blame it on the ozone and cfc's. There is more at work here and the people in control have too much to loose and the greed has covered their eye to the severity of the situation. I guess how can the complexity of the issue be boiled down by us throughout the course of the project.
Maybe we should create a generic timeline to follow. Allowing for a 24 hour delay. We formulate general weekly topics rooted off of the global warming issue. We then search for current news items to focus the artwork around.
The three of us each come from unique backgrounds and specialization. How can we triangulate an issue but not suffocate it by trying to define it too sharply. We are not specialist in this subject although we would most likely be considered more informed than most. How can we become more specialized than we already are or who do we need to include to make a more informed artwork.
At this point in time its not such a cut and dry issue. It was easy back in the day to blame it on the ozone and cfc's. There is more at work here and the people in control have too much to loose and the greed has covered their eye to the severity of the situation. I guess how can the complexity of the issue be boiled down by us throughout the course of the project.
Maybe we should create a generic timeline to follow. Allowing for a 24 hour delay. We formulate general weekly topics rooted off of the global warming issue. We then search for current news items to focus the artwork around.
The three of us each come from unique backgrounds and specialization. How can we triangulate an issue but not suffocate it by trying to define it too sharply. We are not specialist in this subject although we would most likely be considered more informed than most. How can we become more specialized than we already are or who do we need to include to make a more informed artwork.
Where the shit is Jakarta anyhow?
The topic explored within the last 24hrs was not only Global Warming, but the commentary made by the public. The piece is made up of 9 1ft squared canvases. Each canvas is covered with various images and collected thought strands. Surrounding the piece is hand written blogger comments found on the web. Some comments are well thought out and educated while the others are not so much. The piece as a whole becomes rather strong when you add all of these elements together. Much like a bulletin board, there are many stories to be found within.
Day 1 - Documentation Photos
Show opens today. Here are a couple photos.
Some documentation photos from last night.
Worked on the piece from 930pm - 3:00am
Some documentation photos from last night.
Worked on the piece from 930pm - 3:00am
DAY 1 ERoom
The theme we have treated on Day 1 of ER is on the topic of Global Warming. Collecting from the blogs and news sites from around the world posted in the last 24hours we assembled a series of statements and images which relefect the diverse opinions circulating on the topic. In our collage of words and visuals we sought to reveal the complexity of the issues at hand and also its emotional impact on the way we perceive our world . We also underlined, through our selections, the sometimes extremely obtuse and callous reactions of some who, clearly would prefer to find excuses rather than to prevent the potentially inevitable. Whether Global Warming be real or not, whether it be man made or not, we have a clear responsibilty as a race to begin protecting our environment and generating sustainable industries and ways of living which will steer the planet towards greater prosperity. The short sightedness of greed can only lead to tragedy as we are seeing in the combined wars of Iraq and Darfur, all based on relentless land grabs, becuase of that oil..... that damn oil.....
The theme we have treated on Day 1 of ER is on the topic of Global Warming. Collecting from the blogs and news sites from around the world posted in the last 24hours we assembled a series of statements and images which relefect the diverse opinions circulating on the topic. In our collage of words and visuals we sought to reveal the complexity of the issues at hand and also its emotional impact on the way we perceive our world . We also underlined, through our selections, the sometimes extremely obtuse and callous reactions of some who, clearly would prefer to find excuses rather than to prevent the potentially inevitable. Whether Global Warming be real or not, whether it be man made or not, we have a clear responsibilty as a race to begin protecting our environment and generating sustainable industries and ways of living which will steer the planet towards greater prosperity. The short sightedness of greed can only lead to tragedy as we are seeing in the combined wars of Iraq and Darfur, all based on relentless land grabs, becuase of that oil..... that damn oil.....
Heraclitus,
the 6th century BC Greek Philosopher is a tough guy but might have some words of truth for us in the times of deep change.In his works he criticizes his predecessors and contemporaries for their failure to see the unity in experience. He claims to announce an everlasting Word (Logos) according to which all things are one, in some sense. Opposites are necessary for life, but they are unified in a system of balanced exchanges. The world itself consists of a law-like interchange of elements, symbolized by fire. Thus the world is not to be identified with any particular substance, but rather with an ongoing process governed by a law of change. The underlying law of nature also manifests itself as a moral law for human beings.
His efforts to go beyond physical theory in search of metaphysical foundations and moral applications is something we greatly need in this day and age. When so much data and documentation about ourselves and our world around us is being generated, what is the underlying meaning of all this for us, what is our moral and spiritual infinity?
Sometimes it is good to look deep into ancient wisdom to find the truth of the present. That looking glass can be more objective and accurate.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Celebrating the Good Times!
Sure there are some Good Times out there. We are living in a well funded country, compared to most. We have houses to live in and food to eat. We are indeed spoiled. Even if we are not making a lot of money, and we miss some meals, that is living good. Taking a look around at other countries and how there families live, will make you see a little clearer. What we define as devastation in our own country isn't always the same for other parts of the world. However, we are making note of this and trying to change our outlooks the best we can.
Monday, February 5, 2007
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